Impact contact device for projectiles

Abstract

An impact contact for ignition tubes mounted on the nose of a projectile and consisting of two substantially rigid parts held together by mechanical fastening means which can yield due to lateral forces acting on the front part. Contact means are arranged at the place of interconnection between the two parts, which contact means are sensitive to a relative motion, in a lateral or axial direction, between the two parts for initiating a burst at a value of said relative motion exceeding a certain value.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An impact contact device in an ignition tube adapted to be mounted on the nose of a projectile, the tube including a rigid nose part and a rigid base part, comprising a rotational joint for mechanically holding together said nose and base parts so as to allow relative rotation of the two parts, said rotational joint being dimensioned so as to have a mechanical strength such that it yields due to resilience or a break when exposed to given forces which appear upon lateral impact of the projectile against a target, contact means arranged at the interface area between the two parts and responsive to a relative motion, in a lateral or axial direction, between the two parts for operating an ignition circuit when said relative motion exceeds a certain value, a portion of the base part that faces the nose part comprising a metallic plate having a central aperture and forming a mechanical barrier between the two parts and an electric ground for the ignition circuit, said contact means comprising a first contact element supported by the nose part and including a generally sleeve-shaped metallic body which projects from the nose part into a recess in said metallic plate, said contact means further comprising a second contact element supported by the base part and electrically connected to the metallic plate and normally positioned at a distance from the first contact element but arranged to come into contact with the first contact element upon relative motion between the nose and base parts thereby to operate said ignition circuit, a conductor extending through said central aperture for interconnecting the nose part and the base part and surrounded by the sleeve-shaped body, said recess in the metallic plate comprising a widened portion of the central aperture which is situated at the surface of the metallic plate that faces the nose part. 
     
     
       2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second contact element comprises a contact ring conductively connected to the surface of said metallic plate which faces the nose part, said second contact element including contact segments which project in a direction towards the central conductor, said sleeve-shaped body being provided with projecting portions on its periphery for making contact with the said inwardly projecting contact segments upon axial motion between the nose part and the base part, lateral displacement between said parts producing contact either between the said projecting portions and the wall of the recess or between the contact sleeve and the said inwardly projecting contact segments. 
     
     
       3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotational joint comprises a ring surrounding the nose and base parts at the interface area and included in a functional switch for presetting the ignition tube to different functions by means of the relative rotation of the nose and base parts. 
     
     
       4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second contact element comprises a contact ring supported on the metallic plate in the area of said recess, said contact ring and metallic ring together forming said second contact element.